Brett Buchanan
VA-accredited claims agent in Belleville, Illinois
- Accreditation type: Accredited claims agent
- VA registration number: 23766
- Accredited since: May 11, 2012 (14 years)
- Location: Belleville, IL
What Brett Buchanan may charge
Accredited attorneys and claims agents may not charge for preparing your initial claim. A fee may only be charged after the VA issues a decision and you file an appeal or a supplemental claim, and the fee agreement has to be filed with the VA (38 CFR § 14.636). Fees are commonly a percentage of retroactive benefits — 20% is typical and 33⅓% is the outer edge of what the VA presumes reasonable. Nothing about being on the accreditation list sets or endorses a rate; ask for the fee agreement in writing before you sign.
Before you sign with anyone
- Confirm the accreditation yourself on the VA’s official accreditation search. This page mirrors that list; the VA’s copy is the authority.
- Ask what happens to the fee if you lose, and get the fee agreement in writing.
- Ask who will actually handle the claim — the person you spoke to, or someone else.
- Ask what evidence they intend to develop. A representative who never asks about your service history or your treatment records is not building a claim.
- Talk to a free VSO first. Illinois has 291 accredited VSO representatives, and they can file the same initial claim at no cost.
Other accredited representatives in Illinois
- Anna Klucker — Belleville
- Audra Hankley — Belleville
- Brett Buchanan — Belleville
- Heather Dropp — Belleville
- Joseph McBroom — Belleville
- Karen Caldwell — Belleville
- Ronald Michel — Belleville
- Stephen Radloff — Belleville
- Tammie Reeves — Belleville
- Thomas Banning — Belleville
- Akshay Soman — Chicago
- Alexa Schneider — Chicago
See every accredited representative in Illinois
Listing drawn from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs accreditation list. Inclusion here is not a recommendation, a ranking, or an endorsement, and we are not affiliated with the VA. We do not sell veterans as leads. Something wrong on this page? Tell us and we’ll correct it.